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Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies

romantic_thi3f
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member
Hi!

Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with.

These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help!

If you only remember one thing, let it be this:

You are important. Your grades don’t define you.

(support)

Studying can feel isolating but know you’re not alone! Reach out – and find or make friends that can support you along the way.

If you’re having trouble finding some friends, join some local communities or clubs! They have lots at Uni’s and even stuff like open days are great ways to meet new people and find out what’s happening.

Study groups can also be a great way to meet people and stay motivated. Also remind yourself why you’re doing this; inspirational wallpapers or quotes can be super inspiring.

Remember the saying about the oxygen mask? If you can’t take care of yourself first studying will be harder. You are important. You know the drill - water, food, exercise, sleep.

Try to stay calm. Stuff that might be able to help include mindfulness, breathing exercises, colouring in, going for walks, journaling, listening to music…

If you’re struggling – reach out. See a therapist. Talk to your student counsellor. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Also lots of Universities and TAFE offer disability services – which includes conditions like Depression and Anxiety.

(study)

Find the right study space for you. Maybe that’s in your room, or a coffee shop, or the library. Some people find that noise helps; other people not so much. If you like particular kinds of noise, you can find ‘coffee shop’ noise or ‘rain sounds’ to help concentrate.

Make a plan. It helps to do it often so it becomes a habit. Anytime you get a due date, write it down. Maybe you could use a diary, planner, bullet journal or an app. I find the 30/30 App helpful - study for a bit and then break for a bit. You can also get add-on’s for your computer to block sites like Facebook if you find them too distracting.

Find out what study technique works for you. Do you like cue cards? Mind maps? Colour coding? Does highlighting stuff help you remember? Charts, maps, diagrams? Recorded lectures?

Goals! These are so important – not just writing down deadlines but rewarding yourself for meeting them. Even making smaller goals like ‘read two pages from a textbook’ can help. Break it down into bite size pieces, and don’t forget to reward yourself after!
51 Replies 51

startingnew
Community Member

this is great! thanks

if i think of anything else that you havent already meantioned ill write it down.

it looks like youve covered everything though well done to you and your efforts!

Hi startingnew,

Wow thank you so much for your reply! I just looked at the post and it looks terrible with the formatting haha

I really appreciate you saying that; I had a lot of anxiety about this post so just hearing that it was helpful to one person has made my day!

startingnew
Community Member
oh yes these tips really are awesome. I dont see a problem with your formatting either. You write quite well and seem to be organised with your studies and work as well.
Well done to you!
Can I ask what are you studying if your still studying?

I agree with all of what you said 🙂 I joined disability services while I was at uni and I found it good to have uni by my side. I didn't end up using a lot of the services available but it was good to know that they could help me. I also found it studying as part of a group helped me too

Hi!

starting new - Wow thank you! I really appreciate that 🙂 I've been studying for a while now so it's all stuff I've had to learn the hard way! I just thought well if I post it and if it helps one person then I've done a good job! I'm studying counselling 🙂

MsPurple - that's awesome that disability services were helpful! I think more people should know about them because they don't generally advertise that they help for mental illness 🙂 Initially I thought they were only for physical disabilities.

Hello,

I love those tips. I always used to plan for breaks. Those were always the best plans because while I struggled to stick to my study plans, I was pretty good at sticking to my break plans, haha.

One other thing that really made a world of difference for me was to always remember why I was even studying in the first place. Some people studied for marks to get dean's list, while others studied to get passes to get a piece of paper.

For me, I studied to learn and the more I reminded myself of this, the less stressed I got when I didn't get a HD or when I got less marks than I wanted, because ultimately it didn't matter. What mattered was that I was learning, not that I could memorise formulas or whatever it was.

Knowing my reason for studying and reminding myself of that also meant I was more driven to do it!

James

MsPurple
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

James I couldn't agree more with you. When I was studying my bachelor degree I was super stressed because I wanted to get into a masters degree (couldn't get into the field I wanted to without it). I then got into my masters and just wanted to learn. I enjoyed that aspect of learning more as I could actually enjoy learning and appreciate the content.

Romantic I thought it as only for physical disabilities too. In my masters degree I had a full anxiety breakdown. I was probably the most unwell I had been for years. I ended up opening up to one of my supervervisors who was nothing but supportive. She was the one who encouraged me to sign up with disability services. I know talk yearly to students about disability services and encourage them to get help

Oh that sounds really good. I hope your enjoying it 🙂

And i think your helping more than one person 🙂

james thats a really good point! I agree with you on that one too

Hi!

James - I'm so glad you like them! Break plans are not surprisingly easier to stick to! 😉 How did you go about planning your study?

I love that tip about remembering the 'why'. This is so important. I actually changed my course not long ago and found that it's made a huge difference in how motivated and interested I am to study.

MsPurple - Thank you! I think it's wonderful that you're spreading about the world about disability services! More people need to hear about them 🙂 People can feel so alone when they're struggling.

Startingnew - Thank you! I really really appreciate it 🙂